In the world of technology, nothing is forever and 2023 proved it again. Be it the Lightning port or Twitter branding, there were plenty of changes.
Apple Lightning port
After more than a decade, Apple has started moving from Lightning port to USB-C. The new iPhone 15 series has USB-C but Apple’s long-term goals may go beyond USB-C charging. The company has been promoting MagSafe wireless charging for some time and conversations around it will only increase in the coming months.
Twitter brand
Elon Musk, who bought Twitter last year, renamed the platform to X, with a stylised version of the 24th letter of the Latin alphabet. The Twitter name has been used since 2006 and was embedded in popular culture.
Amazon Halo
When Amazon introduced the Halo, it was meant to be a device with a twist — by using a smartphone app to scan images of your body, it could tell you how much body fat you have much more precisely than past technologies. This year, Amazon decided to shutter its health-focused Halo division.
The iPhone 15 moved away from Lightning port
Netflix shipping DVDs
Most youngsters watching Netflix do not remember that this was once primarily a DVD-by-mail business. That era came to an end. The streaming giant announced that it would end — after 25 years — mailing DVDs of shows and movies to its subscribers. The company sent out DVDs via mail in easily recognisable red-and-white envelopes.
WordPad in Windows
After nearly three decades, Microsoft pulled the plug on the basic text-editing app. The app has always been auto-installed on Windows systems since 1995 and since 2020 it became an optional feature, meaning users could delete it if they so chose. Nobody is sure whether it will have any impact on Windows users since there are plenty of alternatives to WordPad.
Google Podcasts
Google is shutting down its Google Podcasts app in 2024 to shift the listening experience over to YouTube Music. Earlier this year, the company announced that YouTube Music will begin supporting podcasts in the US and it will expand this globally by year-end.
Messenger Lite
Facebook launched Messenger Lite for older Android devices in 2016 to allow chatting on devices that were not high on specs.
E3
The Entertainment Software Association’s (ESA) annual gaming expo has been having a tough time for years but the pandemic forced organisers to cancel time and again. The ESA formally called it game over a few days ago.
Google Stadia
The tech year started with Google closing down its Cloud-gaming service. Stadia users got full hardware and software refunds, save game transfers and even a celebratory test game they could play on the eve of the shutdown.
Microsoft Cortana on Windows
Microsoft ended support for Cortana in Windows but it didn’t come as a surprise. During its Build conference in May, Microsoft announced its new Windows Copilot tool, which will make the best use of the taskbar.